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Volume 83 • Issue 24
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Scenes from area
GRADUATION CELEBRATIONS See pages 9-12 inside
News from a neighbor! • Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Brinkley and Black named Mt. Holly Man and Woman of the Year by Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Garrie Brinkley and Melanie Black have been named 2017 Mt. Holly Man and Woman of the Year. The pair received their recognition at Mt. Holly's annual Community Dinner and Awards banquet held recently at the Grand Hall of the Municipal Complex. Between the two of them, Brinkley and Black form a dynamic duo of civic activism in Mt. Holly. Brinkley is a native of Mt. Holly. He has been hyperactive in the formation of the Mt. Holly Historical Society, working tirelessly to further that organization's aim of preserving and showcasing the town's rich heritage. Brinkley was the ramrod behind Mt. Holly's annual Veterans Day event and worked diligently to gather and present information and photos on nearly 500 veterans from the Mt. Holly area. Brinkley has also been one of the driving forces behind the Mt. Holly Community Garden and has poured much sweat equity into its success. In addition, he was involved in the Mount Holly Community Development Foundation, serving on the Art and Music Festival Committee for several years. He was named the Foundation’s Volunteer of the Year. Former Mt. Holly mayor Bobby Black made this observation about Brinkley. “He is the finest example of the word “friend” as defined in Webster’s dictionary,” Black said. “He is always there for anyone, whether it is over the phone or in person, in good and bad times. When you need someone to talk to or to give you sage advice, he says it in an honest but caring way. He even tells you when you are wrong, but can do it in a relatively nice way. He has done it with class and elegance, with love and a
strong sense of caring for others, but also not afraid to roll up his sleeves and work hard and thoroughly research the task at hand. He supports every activity that takes place in Mount Holly. And always with a smile and an offer to help in any way” Brinkley, ever modest, made this comment about his appointment. “I am honored and humbled to be included in the long list of Mount Holly Men and Women of the Year,” he said. “I was very surprised! My friends and family did a great job of keeping a secret. Mount Holly has many opportunities for community service. It has been a privilege to be a part of the efforts of many contributors to the community of Mount Holly.” Incidentially, Brinkley comes from a long line of Mt. Holly Men and Women of the Year. Two of his grandparents, his dad and his sister are former recipients of the honor. Melanie Black's sense of caring and commitment to her community got a good start when she was working as a special education teacher at Mt. Holly Middle School. Black's own children, Anna Summerlin and Joe Black, now grown, recalled how she took care of her students in need. “While teaching special education at Mount Holly Middle School, she started a fund to buy kids in her classes tennis shoes,” they said. “Many of the students received the only pair of shoes that they owned from this fund. Not only were her students cared for in the class room, but in our home if they had no place to stay. There were several instances where these kids would have been homeless had it not been for our mother offering them a place to stay and food to eat. While employed for 30 years with Gaston County Schools, Melanie touched countless students’ lives with her love and generosity, which many of her
Garrie Brinkley and Melanie Black named 2017 Mt. Holly Man See BRINKLEY and BLACK page 3 and Woman of the Year. Photo Provided
Belmont man remembers D-Day Bobby Brown gave his all to the community By Alan Hodge
alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Last Tuesday, June 6, James Biggerstaff, 91, of Belmont was sitting in his home on Barnes Drive. Exactly 70 years ago to the day, he was manning a 14-inch gun turret on board the USS Nevada battleship pouring 1,500pound shells into German positions on Omaha Beach during the invasion of Normandy. Not only that, but according to a Chicago Tribune article that appeared later, the Nevada's Capt. H.A. Yeager had given the order to fire the first shots of the bombardment that preceded the launching of landing craft to the beach, making it possible that Biggerstaff's turret could have let go the first salvo of D-Day. “I was 17 years old when I joined the Navy in 1943,” Biggerstaff said. “I was a native of Rutherford County. My ship, the USS Nevada had ten 14-inch guns. My job in the turret was to load the bags of gunpowder and primer into the breech after the shell was put in. It took 420 pounds of powder to fire each gun. The shells could travel 20 miles and were so big you could see them in the air. The steel on the James Biggerstaff, 91, of Belmont was a gunner on the USS turrets was a foot thick. Nevada battleship during the D-Day invasion. The ship is said We left England in the middle of the night to have fired the first salvo on June 6, 1944. Photo by Alan Hodge See BIGGERSTAFF page 4
By Stan Cromlish Robert Dallas Brown, better known as Bobby to his friends, lived a lot of life from November 15, 1938 through June 4, 2017. During his life, he was an avid reader, teacher, mentor, writer, friend, promoter, encourager, and someone who lived life completely. He was an eternal optimist believing that like everything else he could overcome Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a rare lung disease, that really made it difficult for him to breathe and have the energy to participate in the many hobbies and causes that he loved dearly. Bobby had a zeal for life that has been rarely equaled by anyone in the community and from his earliest child- Robert Dallas Brown will be remembered by his community for years to come. See BOBBY BROWN page 7 Photo provided
Take Dad To Eat At One Of The Many Local Restaurants. Check Out The Dining Guide On Page 5